In the 1990s, the author started programming in a small town in Northern Australia using a LAN at his parent’s business. They navigated through different operating systems and networking protocols, eventually transitioning to Windows with a Windows NT server. The author’s father, a general practitioner, developed medical record software for the business using low-cost hardware and software skills learned from a book, optimizing productivity and income. The author reflects on the past LAN experience, comparing it to the complexities of programming on the internet today. They dream of recreating the care-free LAN experience with modern security measures through a mesh overlay network.
https://tailscale.com/blog/remembering-the-lan